4.
The Discourse on the Imperturbable
117.
"Monks, there are these three persons existing and found in the world.
Which three?
Here, monks, a certain person, with the complete transcendence of perceptions of material form, with the passing away of perceptions of sensory impingement, with inattention to perceptions of diversity, aware that 'space is infinite,' enters and dwells in the plane of infinite space.
He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it; established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of infinite space.
The life-span of the gods who have reached the plane of infinite space, monks, is twenty thousand cosmic cycles.
There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts.
But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence.
This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite space, aware that 'consciousness is infinite,' enters and dwells in the plane of infinite consciousness. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it; established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of infinite consciousness. The life-span of the gods who have reached the plane of infinite consciousness, monks, is forty thousand cosmic cycles. There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence. This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth.
"Furthermore, monks, here a certain person, with the complete transcendence of the plane of infinite consciousness, aware that 'there is nothing,' enters and dwells in the plane of nothingness. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it; established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of nothingness. The life-span of the gods who have reached the plane of nothingness, monks, is sixty thousand cosmic cycles. There a worldling, having stayed as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, goes to hell, goes to the animal realm, goes to the sphere of ghosts. But a disciple of the Blessed One, having stayed there as long as life lasts, having spent all of whatever is the life-span of those gods, attains final nibbāna in that very existence. This, monks, is the distinction, this is the disparity, this is the difference between a learned noble disciple and an ignorant worldling, that is to say, regarding destination and rebirth. These, monks, are the three persons existing and found in the world." The fourth.